Match That Truck and Loader

Making the right truck-loader match is crucial to the efficiency of your operation. And to make a successful match, you then need to examine loader capacity and bucket size.

The best truck-loader match provides for three to five passes to load the truck. Fewer (or more) passes are inefficient.

SAE defines two methods of rating bucket capacity: struck and heaped. Struck capacity approximates the number of cubic yards a bucket will hold if the material is free-flowing and will not heap. This rating is seldom used.

The industry standard is heaped capacity. This method assumes material will heap in a bucket at a two-to-one slope. It is a fair predictor of the amount of material a bucket will hold. Larger wheel loaders will carry more than SAE heaped capacity in many materials. Caterpillar recommends a bucket fill factor (in well-shot rock) of 90 percent to 100 percent.

Things to watch for when dumping:

• Place material in truck bodies, don’t dump.
• Pad body floors with smaller material before placing in oversize material.
• Do not contact truck side rails.
• Do not push material in bodies.

Your local Cat Dealer can assist you in selecting the right bucket and teeth for your loader application.